Presidential Election 2017: Both Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA and the Opposition led by Congress president Sonia Gandhi have managed a strange secrecy over the choice of their respective candidates

Presidential Election 2017: Both Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA and the Opposition led by Congress president Sonia Gandhi have managed a strange secrecy over the choice of their respective candidates for the Presidential Election 2017. The secrecy maintained by both camps has, however, increased people’s curiosity about the upcoming election.

On Wednesday, the Election Commission of India opened the process of filing nomination for the election of fourteenth President of India. The last date of filing nomination is June 28. The election will be held on July 17 while results will be announced on July 20. With President Pranab Mukherjee’s term set to end in July, both the Centre and Congress-led opposition parties have intensified their search for a suitable Presidential candidate.

The Presidential election will take place only if the government and the Opposition fail to find a consensus candidate. The likelihood of finding a consensus candidate is high as the Opposition had earlier put the onus of suggesting the name of such candidate on the Centre. On Wednesday, reports said senior BJP leaders and Union Ministers Rajnath Singh and Venkaiah Naidu, who are part of the three-member committee constituted by the BJP to pick a candidate for the election, will reach out to Congress president Sonia Gandhi and CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury on Friday to discuss about the upcoming Presidential poll. They will hope to arrive at a consensus on the issue.

Sources told ANI that both Singh and Naidu on Wednesday briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the upcoming election for the top post of the country. The also said the NDA candidate is likely to file the nomination papers on June 23. Naidu said he had exchanged views with Home Minister Rajnath Singh and hence, would talk to different parties. “We exchanged views today, and will be talking to different parties regarding the same,” Naidu told ANI. “On June 17, the Finance Minister (Arun Jaitley) will come back. We will exchange information with him and move forward”, he added.

A PTI report today said the Centre and a small group of Opposition parties have intensified their efforts to zero-in on a “mutually-acceptable” Presidential candidate. In case they fail to reach a consensus, both groups would field separate candidates.

Earlier this week, BJP chief Amit Shah had formed a three-member committee, consisting Union Ministers Rajnath Singh, Venkaiah Naidu and Arun Jaitley for consultations with the Opposition over candidates for the Presidential elections. Recently, Sonia Gandhi had met Opposition leaders in Delhi to give a tough fight to the Centre in the upcoming poll.

Several names have been doing the rounds as probable candidates of either camps.

In my openion, NDA should nominate a non-political person for this top office of the country. In its earliar tenure Mr APJ Abdulkalam, being a non-political man, decorated the post of President of India so well. Mr Narendra Modi, our Priminister, is knows for bringing pleasent surprizes to us. Let him findout a great nationalist for next President of India.

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Tarun Sharma

Jun 15, 2017 at 11:02 am

Why NDA led by Narendra Modi is giving much weightage to Opposition parties led by Congress. Congress when in majority never bothered to take opposition in confidence and made Giani Zail Singh and Pratibha Patil President of India to suit their plan. Today opposition parties just oppose what Government propose. It is need of the hour that NDA should put up its candidate for President of India and get him elected. Even Vice President should be of NDA choice whenever opportunity arise. The present day opposition is nothing but selfish and every leader aspire to be Prime Minister of India. Why not UPA/Congress whenever in majority sought consensus over this issue. Time has come when best should be made President and Vice President without bargain like done previously by government. BJP should nominate only that candidate who has nurtured this party selflessly. TARUN SHARMA

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Arulanandan

Jun 15, 2017 at 11:02 am

Dear Country politicians. Pls. don't be wasting your time unnecessarily in this matter. There are only 3 est candidates in our country in all aspects. 1.. Dr. Shri Manmohan Singh 2. Shri Pranab Mukherjee 3. Shri LK Advani. Apart from these 3 doyens, if others are elected, the President Palace itself will not welcome other than these 3.